Allotments 4 All

Roxinho and Rosinha

I was given both of these a few years ago in a swap with a Brazilian grower living in Austria. His wife visited their home country and brought back these two varieties which I think are readily available in Brazil. They did surprisingly well considering the difference in climate and day length. The beans are quite small but both are valued in Brazil for their cooking qualities as dried beans. Rosinha put out some runners and I would grow it as a semi with some support. Roxinho is a fairly vigorous dwarf.  Roxinho means 'little purple'.

Another bean for the circle - DFB Slavonski Zeleni Grah

This is traditional local dwarf bean from Croatia grown in family gardens and small farms in Slavonia and continental Croatia for generations. The name means Slavonian Green bean   It's a dual purpose bean, good for green snap beans and also dried beans for soups etc - and it's productive too. I had my seeds from my Canadian seed swap but she had hers from Russ Crow who in turn had them from a donor in Drevhostic, Czech Republic in 2019

Quote from: Elfeda on September 30, 2026, 11:06:49DFB: Python, lazy housewife collected.

Indian bean, also called Indian broad bean, climbing. I find these drought-tolerant and still growing strong. So, a good choice if you reliably want green beans after August.


Bottle gourd: I enjoy this when all summer squash is gone. Drought tolerant too. I bought a new packet of seeds as I had to deal with muntjac at the plot.


Tomato: Principe borghese

Amaranth: green, pink

Basil: green

Sweet corn: one dark red seed variety and another maize from Jamaica; one plot holder on our site gave me dry pods. There are plenty of seeds to share.

Good morning elfeda.

Thanks for your list of contributions. Is your Lazy Housewife the usual climbing form,  white seeded or brown seeded? There are at least two forms in circulation.

Your Indian beans sound interesting. Can you say where you originally got the seed from? This is a French bean, a Phaseolus vulgaris? We just need to avoid confusion with broad beans.

With your bottle gourd, I believe seed is usually sold with a variety name. Please could you specify the variety name if it has one.  Do you mean that you're offering seed directly from the packet or that you've grown it on?

And please could you specify the growing conditions of your sweetcorn and how you managed to isolate your red from other plot holders and how many plants you had. There are quite strict guidelines for successful seed saving from sweetcorn to ensure against cross pollination and inbreeding depression.

Interesting to have the maize from your Jamaican plot holder. Does he or she grow it for flour? Do you know whether it's a flour corn or a dent corn?

Sweetcorn seed-saving guidelines

1. Only save seeds from open-pollinated or heirloom varieties, as hybrid seeds will not grow true to the parent plant.
2. Grow at least 50 to 120 plants if possible to maintain good genetic diversity and plant health.
3. Ensure your corn was isolated from other varieties, since corn is wind-pollinated and crosses easily over long distances

DFB: Python, lazy housewife collected.

Indian bean, also called Indian broad bean, climbing. I find these drought-tolerant and still growing strong. So, a good choice if you reliably want green beans after August.


Bottle gourd: I enjoy this when all summer squash is gone. Drought tolerant too. I bought a new packet of seeds as I had to deal with muntjac at the plot.


Tomato: Principe borghese

Amaranth: green, pink

Basil: green

Sweet corn: one dark red seed variety and another maize from Jamaica; one plot holder on our site gave me dry pods. There are plenty of seeds to share.

Seems that climate change is bringing the pea weevil problem to Britain also.  I have just googled it. 

Status in the UK:

While historically common across continental Europe, the pest was confirmed in a British commercial crop for the first time due to unusually warm and dry spring conditions that allowed it to complete its life cycle. 

After the issues with the Allium Leaf Miner, now this too.  :-(

I also have an addition.  ph vulgaris Wulleboon. I have shelled the dry pods and I have so many seeds, I would like to share.  An early climbing French bean.  My seeds were from Jaap Vlaming who years ago brought many seeds with him on his surprise visit to Rushden.  With the request to grow, save and share them. 

Wulleboon are a white flowered green bean for fresh eating. Several pencil podded, stringless medium sized beans on every truss and a big overall harvest.  A traditional Dutch variety.  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos.  First time grown here, where they are just as good a producer as in England. 

https://belleepoquemeise.be/le-roi-du-potager/wulleboon/

I may have to scratch the pea Swedish Yellow for the seed circle, which I can't find in the freezer.  It must be there somewhere, but where?  Because of our pea weevils (the pea equivalent of the broad bean weevil, which is common in Britain), peas here need to go in the freezer after shelling.  And I haven't found these yet, but will keep looking. 

On my contribution Id like to add the climbing bean Polen Pha 361 and take away Indigo Fireball tomato which I like very much but had forgotten that it was given to the circle just last year by Juliev.

I haven't shared any information about my bean varieties yet, so here's the first one.



Roja de Seda






Roja de Seda - semi French bean


The Spanish name means Red Silk bean
It's a variety from Central America only fairly recently more widely distributed  It is very valued in its dried form in kitchens throughout Central America as it is sweet and considered one of the tastiest beans. Apparently it's great for refried beans but I haven't tried it
Many of the seeds available were only grown in El Salvador but it was acclimatised to US growing, first by William Woys Weaver. I got my seeds from a Canadian seed swap and before that they came from Mandy's Greenhouse. I found it was a bit on the late side for a dwarf which is how I grew it but it ripened in good time. It threw out runners so another time I'd grow it as a semi-climbing

If the plant is touching the ground, check whether any roots are forming on the growth there. Cut off that sprig and pot it up.

Prune the bush to remove as much as leaves the bush with an amount of leaves (short back and sides, as it were). That will give you plenty to use as cuttings, plus flavour everything with rosemary for some weeks (lamb, bread, gin, etc). You can freeze rosemary, so there will be no respite for your family.

Aim to get the plant up with as big a root ball as you can, say 12" - 18" across, by digging round it at that distance and getting a spade or fork under it. You may find that much of the soil drops off in practice, but the point is to get out as much of the root system as possible. Replant in its new home or a pot while you decide whether it will keep going. You probably know all that already!

Another approach would be to cut the bush back really hard so that it is not in the way of the path and hope that it sends up new growth which you can control. Take cuttings as before and when some of those are established in the garden, remove the old plant (whether living or dead).

I saved seeds from the tomatoes i bought

Good to hear from you, Ruud. Did you get hold of the actual tomato and save seed, or did you see the seeds for sale or have them given to you? Sounds very interesting.

Look forward to seeing the rest of your list.